Pink and Grey on a Sunny Day

I am simply enamored with pink & grey color combos these days!  Here is my idea of a nice afternoon on the lawn: Vintage Bill Blass dress, intricately webbed tights by Hue, heeled, t-strap oxfords and a Jules Accessory Design ring for a punch of shimmering color. Give thanks to the dandelion below for its vibrant splash of yellow peeking out on the lawn (which was freshly mowed later that evening). Hints of Spring!

Clover (always a lucky find in this children's shop)

Butterflies and bright clothes hanging out in the window display.

Since 2004, high on the list of stops for families in Ballard is Sarah Furstenberg's Clover. Featuring a delightful array of unique children's toys, games, books, attire *and* room decor, her shop is a tiny wonderland for kids and adults alike. Upon entering through the wide, heavy door with it's antique hardware and large, glass window, one instantly steps onto terra cotta tiles that quietly set the stage for a European feel. Glancing about, you'll soon notice that these items are hand picked for quality, durability, and most importantly-- that extra special, magical element that kids will be drawn to. Fueling imaginations is a specialty around here!

With Easter around the corner, I focused my camera on the clothes hanging in the window and in the furthest side room. There are plenty of choices here to dress the kidlets just right for that egg hunt that's mere days away (from infant on up to pre-school/early elementary school sizes). I couldn't help but take a few snaps of the tall bookcase, a stunning rug and a portion of the Easter window display though. All the other toys, games & art supplies are just waiting for you to come in and take a look at them though because...

 Don't you hear the hopping of the Easter Bunny who's getting closer to town?

How cute is this!! Tea camp shirt, plus a fedora for the boys. There are many other boy offerings though; head on out to Ballard and check them out.

A mix of brands-- mainly Catamini from France, and Tea of S.F.

Loops belts for the stylish, pint size guys and gals.

Handmade Hair Pins.

Find your favorite classics; plus, some new tales ripe for the picking.

The New York Review of Children's Books put out these must read, once forgotten classics.
I love the red binding and their historical style sketches. 

Dash & Albert wool area rug (4' x 6'). I couldn't resist rolling it out. 

Letting the Easter Bunny know where he can go to fill the area baskets!

Thanks to owner Sarah Furstenberg for all these years that I've been coming in with my kids and chatting away. It was fun taking pictures and writing about Clover, too.

For everyone reading, you should see the fairy house that my girl got here 4.5 yrs ago. It's magical! Maybe a 1 photo post is soon to come...

lounge around: totem pole/nature theme

I started envisioning this room for a friend who wants a cozy reading nook. While many different items were first chosen for their bold colors, soon, a nature theme started to unfold and the mood changed to this current juxtaposition of pure white against rich, colorful tones. I'd been thinking a lot about the fact that Seattle currently has a memorial totem pole being carved for a member of the First Nations Tribes. While the social weight of this is heavy, when I spotted these stacked totem cups and the acrylic, wood-grain patterned side table, I knew that the lightness they express would be just right for the sunny corner of my friend's home; plus, they reflect the history of the area we live in.


Tying it together, the Icarus Pendant lamp will give the space a sense of movement--as if a bird were truly in flight. Paired with the felted hexagon rug used as a wall hanging, the room gets further pulled into place with the hand embroidered Kilim pillow which also features strong geometric patterns. These handmade, felted wool Hexrug pieces are created as part of a job-creation program for homeless women in Portland, Oregon. It's like finding decor that benefits the Earth in a sustainable manner and that also helps the lives of women living here. In the end, I feel that this room looks casually luxurious. Who wants to lounge around on this Friday?

Items in this room (clearly not to scale-- envision the perfection):

Hexrug Wall Hanging $150 per sq. ft. 

Roxy Chaise $3,995

Artecnica Icarus Pendant Lamp  $90

Hand Embroidered Kilim Pillow by Sukan $80

Timber Table $235 made in Bellingham, WA

Totem Cups $64

Milk-Bottle Carafe $24

Gold Journal $25 

Pendleton, The Portland Collection!

Pair an historic American textile company with independent designers, and you've got The Portland Collection by Pendleton. This girl of many words is nearly speechless with longing for items out of the upcoming Fall 2011 collection created by Portland designers John Blasioli, Rachel Turk & Nathaniel Crissman (Rachel & Nathaniel of church & state).  A better team couldn't have been picked to brand this iconic company with their own unique NW style in all it's sleek and edgy primness (with a touch of Navajo flair). Seems I could get through next winter wearing solely these classic with a modern twist designs. It's all in their details: slim fit, keyhole cut-outs, colors that seem plucked from nature and infused with a delicate, smoky hue. Don't you just love his pattern-upon-pattern shirt and tie combos-- along with her dresses with their lower necklines and chunky scarves? I'm simply in awe!

 Now, kids, let's play a game and all pick favorites. GO!

Photos by Chris Hornbecker Photography, used courtesy of designers.

Also, be sure to check out the Honey Kennedy blog post that Portland girl Jen McCabe wrote back in January. I've been following Pendleton's progress on this since then; and I'm still gaga over it!

Hip & Urban Attire

Make a splash with some cool items you'll want to wear again, and again. Out to the weekend market, taking kids to the zoo, hanging out with a friend over coffee, going to a gallery opening, heading out to dinner at a neighborhood cafe, stopping in at a casually chic birthday party (before heading to a music gig)...  you see, the list of occasions that require your seemingly effortless style goes on and on.

Just choose some modern, slightly edgy pieces, though; and you're good to go. These ones here are from more of the people in my neighborhood-- Kate Burt with her happening new clothing line from Operation + Stitch; and Amy Bengstson who creates a plethora of goods for us: her own jewelry, art, and even belts and buckles. Go ahead and put together your own bit of NW style with some of these looks. I know that I wear my favorite pair of Amy's earrings at least 4 times a week since they can be dressed up or down. Flexibility is key. Around Seattle, we seem to be especially drawn to these types of handmade, sustainable items that go with everything and are grab-and-go, or wash-and-wear. This is the way that we always ensure that there's more time for fun.

*channeling a bit of Mr. Rogers' in my cardigan here since it's been feeling more like October than April outside* 

Operation + Stitch- Luna Tunic. Photos by Fiona Pepe. Below, see the Asteroid Dress with the spectacular circular cut-outs, and the Meridian Stripes Dress with the blue accents.  

Cherry Blossom Necklace, ah, warm weather-- when will we see you around here?

Take your seemingly simple jeans and a tank top to the next level with stylish ease. Just add an August Eliason belt for him & her; and for the ladies, an Amy Bengtson necklace. When leaving the house this Spring, just toss a bright cardigan or casual anorak over her shoulders, and grab a casual jacket for him. I almost always add a long scarf too.

Handle With Care (Sculptures)

Come on in and get your heart broken by the talented Shawn Zeiger. As I told him earlier today, I can't get his pieces out of my mind; and thus, it's a good day for his intense heart sculptures made with equal parts passion and skill. Shawn's show opened in February to a packed house during Artwalk at The Firm in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood. Read his description below of how these pieces came to him; and be ready to fill in the blanks with your own history.

"This show is really art therapy for me. It sprang from a specific moment of pain, anger, loss and depression. Out of those feelings an inkling of the idea to make these hearts began. Before I knew it, I had designed three of them in my head and started planning on materials and construction of the first. Each piece represents a dark moment in my life, and the act of making the sculpture is my way of letting it go. This is the reason that all but one are titled by a date rather than a name - the one being a collaboration using remnants from a piece with a similar theme. The reasons behind each piece are deeply personal to me and I would hope that each one speaks to the viewer in a way so that maybe they can see a little of their past or present sorrow in it." by Shawn Zeiger 

Using steel, wood, feathers, glass, rubber, machine works, LED lighting, shale, concrete, steel... he's got no loss of materials at hand to cleverly meld into the familiar shape that's so often used to symbolize love. Don't get me wrong, love is in these, and probably more so since they reflect the reality of living a life fully experienced and deeply felt. A bit of good coming out of the bad.
I'm drawn to the bound, stretched sculptures which to me suggest both locking things in and holding things together, or the ones with machine-works parts keeping us in sync underneath our sheaths, or the exposed coiled rope in the center of the pulled back metal (ouch); yet most especially, I'm drawn to the ones involving medical interventions. Love, loss, repair (if we're lucky). Art to provoke thought, dialogue, or quiet reflection. Give them your meaning.

A happy moment with hottie girlfriend, artist Sharon Arnold . (insert classic love hearts here)
Photos and information used courtesy of Shawn Zeiger; pics taken by Damon Mori, Joe Malinao and Sharon Arnold. They can fight it out and tell me whose is whose... Just know that if you really want to know, I'll work it out for you.

Jax Joon & Damsalfly

At Jax Joon find a pillow for every home!

Take one part successful business and move it down the block-

re-open in a bright new space dedicated to women's attire, plus items for baby.

A little bit later, add one part *surprise* by opening a new store in your remodeled original location and dedicate it to home decor and men's clothing. Perfect mix!

I remember being intrigued when Damsalfly was moving out of their longtime, charming location and down a few storefronts. This local shop has always been filled with affordable of-the-moment options. Luckily for those of us who also love vintage, owner Jenny Monroe often has a few select pieces lingering amongst the racks, too. Last weekend, while at the Ballard Farmers Market,  I noticed that there was a new store called Jax Joon that was open in her original locale. That's when I got the scoop from her:

ART/D.I.Y.SPIRIT/DECOR/& MENSWEAR

Jenny's husband Jake Monroe will be the main presence here. He'll be crafting the custom bars and reworking other furniture pieces. As a matter of fact, the talented duo are each creating many of their own pieces that are for sale. All of the decoupaged and painted (resined) art is hand done, too. Get on down to Ballard Ave. to check both stores out. Tell me what you like. 

Jenny's mom Lynn works here and also sews some of the baby items.

The current image at the top of my blog is an up-close shot of a vintage dress that I found at Damsalfly last fall. It's a *WOW* kind of dress that I've worn only once. If I were to shrink the width of the dramatic sleeves though, it's probable that I would wear it again and again. 

Photos taken with my cell phone-- courtesy of the shop owners.

evocative, intricately designed concert posters

 Grand Hallway Poster--All proceeds from this limited edition poster go towards the Red Cross and their relief efforts in Japan. The Stranger recently voted it Poster of the Week.

Utilizing colors reminiscent of softly muted dream memories, Seattle graphic designer Frida Clements creates the kind of concert posters that even the most grown up of music fans will want to hang in their homes. Luckily for those of us also raising kids on a steady musical diet of KEXP, these ones are still cool enough for the teens, too. Trust me-- I bought mine the Swell Season poster right after we painted her room a very dark eggplant color. It's perfect and it reminds me of some shows that we've seen them in.


As the senior graphic designer at Seattle Theater Group, Frida has the opportunity to create impeccable posters & ephemera* for local shows and events at the Moore & Paramount theaters (etc). Being a great friend to many indie musicians though, she has recently been doing more and more designs in her free time. See images of her work (plus keep watch for future pieces) via her drawn to the left site which links you to many of the clever things keeping her on her toes; and all of us both listening and looking on in a dreamy state of wonder. 

All images provided courtesy of Frida Clements Design. See her new Etsy Shop to order your favorite screen prints!  What kind of frame will you use?

* ephemera |əˈfem(ə)rə| plural noun

 Items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones.

ORIGIN late 16th cent.